The Geography of Thought

I recently read a book called The Geography of Thought by Richard E. Nisbett which has had a profound impact on the way I understand Torah. The subject of this book is how Westerners and Asians think differently. Consider the following fundamental laws of Aristotelian logic:

1) Law of Identity - If a statement is true, then it is true.

2) Law of Non-Contradiction - No statement can be both true and false.

3) Law of the Excluded Middle - All statements are either true or false.

These laws form a basis for Western critical thinking. As Westerners, it is difficult for us to even imagine a system of reasoning that is different from the Aristotelian system, but surprisingly there is a system of reasoning which is the exact opposite of the Aristotelian system:

1) Principle of Change - Reality is a process; it does not stand still and is in constant flux. Because reality is dynamic and flexible, concepts that reflect reality are also active, changeable, and subjective.

2) Principle of Contradiction - Reality, particularly the reality of life, is not precise and cut-and-dried, but rather, complex and full of contradiction.

3) Principle of Holism - In reality, as well as in human life, nothing is isolated and independent; rather, everything is relational and connected.

The Principle of Change is in direct contradiction with the Law of Identity in that according to the Principle of Change, the truth or falsehood of a statement is not static; if in one moment a statement is true, then in the next moment that same statement can be false. The Principle of Contradiction is in direct contradiction with the Law of Non-Contradiction, by definition. And the Principle of Holism is in direct contradiction with the Law of the Excluded Middle, since in a relational and connected world, the truth or falsehood of a statement may depend on its context.

These three principles form a basis for Eastern thought, according to Nisbett. Nisbett calls this system of logic "dialectical", and he mostly concentrates on Asian countries in the Far East like China, Japan, and Korea in his book; however, anyone who learns Talmud can see that the logic of the Torah is more in line with Asian dialectical logic than with Western logic. And this is really no surprise, since the Land of Israel is in Asia, not Europe. According to the Abarbanel, Noach's three sons Shem, Cham, and Japeth each inherited the three continents, Asia, Africa, and Europe, respectively. We Jews are descendents of Shem, who inherited Asia, not Japeth, who inherited Europe and gave birth to Yavan, the father of the Greek nation. So it is only natural that Asian dialectical logic conforms more to Torah than Western Greek logic does.

Therefore, Western Jews like myself who grew up in a society in which Greek Aristotelian logic is king and Eastern logic is considered at the very least nonsense and at the very most "mystical" need to understand that if one is to comprehend the Torah deeply, then one must throw away all preconceived notions that the Torah can be completely understood in terms of Western Aristotelian logic.